EXPERTS are predicting that the growth in retail imports through the major container ports in the US will be slower in 2007 compared to last year, according to the findings of the monthly Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and researchers at Global Insight.

"Overall trade growth is expected to be positive but slower compared with the monthly rates we saw in the first half of 2006," Global Insight economist Paul Bingham said. "Nonetheless, each month is still expected to see a new record volume for that month."

Container traffic is expected to grow at rates ranging from 4.6 to 7.3 per cent from March through May 2007, down from growth ranging from seven per cent to 17.9 per cent during the same months last year.

These predictions come as the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma and Seattle on the west coast, and New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the east coast handled 1.36 million TEU, down 6.6 per cent from October 2006.

Ports surveyed were expected to have handled 1.32 million TEU in December and 1.27 million TEU in January, followed by 1.2 million TEU in February. The slow winter months will give way to expect volume increases starting from March, which is forecast at 1.3 million TEU, up 4.8 per cent from March 2006.